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Last week, Adobe acknowledged seeing Stevens' no-bug-needed proof-of-concept demonstration, but it did not commit to making any change in its PDF software, saying only that it is "always listening to and evaluating ways to allow end-users and administrators to better manage and configure features like this one to mitigate potential associated risks." To do so, users must clear the check from the box marked "Allow opening of non-PDF file attachments with external applications" in the Trust Manager section of Reader's preferences. Today, Stevens also confirmed that Adobe Reader users can defend their PCs by disabling the /Launch function, a crucial component of his attack. In other words, a Windows PC that has a fully-patched, up-to-date copy of Adobe Reader or Foxit Reader can be exploited via rogue PDFs by hackers using Stevens' strategy.ĭidier did not reply today to a request seeking further comment about the Foxit update or whether he was able to change that program's warning message, as he has been able to do to Adobe's. The open foxit reader and see if it is at the size you want.
While that kind of social-engineering-based attack is nothing new, until now hackers needed an exploit of an unpatched software vulnerability to pull off a successful attack delivered via PDFs. Open foxit reader, click on the double box in the upper right, reduce to the size you want by going to a corner until you see a double arrow, hold and drag to the size you want, then hold down the shift kley and click on the X to close foxit reader. And last week, Stevens said that although Adobe Reader displays a warning when an executable inside a PDF file is launched, he had found a way to partially modify Adobe's warning to encourage a potential victim to allow the launch action.
Stevens' technique doesn't require an underlying vulnerability in either Adobe Reader or Foxit Reader all attackers need to do is dupe users into opening a malicious PDF.